Fairfield University’s nationally ranked Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies is partnering with Baylor Scott & White Health, Ascension Seton, and Central Texas Veterans Health Care Systems to help students attain professional competencies with high-quality clinical experiences through the Egan School’s new Austin-based program.

The Egan School’s expansion to Texas establishes an additional nursing pathway through Fairfield University and addresses the needs of the national healthcare system. The Austin campus was recently awarded approval by the Texas Board of Nursing. The first cohort of students will be admitted in May 2023, with a second cohort to begin in January 2024. A ribbon-cutting to celebrate the grand opening of the new campus is being planned for June 5, 2023.

Fairfield Egan's full-time, 15-month accelerated second-degree baccalaureate nursing (SDNU) program will be offered at the Austin campus, and will provide a unique opportunity for students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree to pursue a bachelor of science in nursing degree in an accelerated format. Employment opportunities for nurses in the next decade are projected to grow 15 percent, faster than all other occupations.

“During this nationwide nursing crisis, we are honored to do our part by expanding access to Fairfield’s exceptional baccalaureate nursing program, and we are confident that the residents of Texas will benefit greatly from the care of Fairfield-educated nurses,” said Dean Meredith Kazer, PhD, APRN-BC, FAAN.

The new location will feature classrooms and several simulation labs, including a simulated intensive care unit and a surgical suite. The nursing curriculum at the Austin, Texas-based facility will mirror baccalaureate offerings at Fairfield Egan’s main campus in Fairfield, Connecticut.

At the completion of this program, students will be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) to become registered nurses. The SDNU program has been in existence at Fairfield Egan for more than two decades and is fully accredited by Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Fairfield University is consistently ranked among the best colleges and universities in the nation. Most recently, U.S News & World Report’s 2023 rankings included Fairfield University among its top 125 Best National Universities. The Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies placed in the top 100 nationwide. Fairfield also earned the #29 spot among national universities ranked for Best Undergraduate Teaching.

In other national rankings, The Princeton Review’s flagship guide, The Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition, ranked Fairfield at #23 nationally on its list of Best-Run Colleges.

Fairfield University also placed in the top 15 percent of more than 1,500 colleges and universities in Niche’s 2023 Best Colleges in America ranking, and in the top 15 percent of Top Private Universities in America. Fairfield ranked in the top 10 percent of Best Value Colleges in America, and Best College Campuses in America. On the list of Best Colleges for Nursing in America, Fairfield Egan was ranked in the top 5 percent at No. 29 out of 762.

Learn more at fairfield.edu/austinnursing.